UNC holds off Clemson in Senior Night thriller
Tuesday night in Chapel Hill carried all the emotions, as UNC hosted Clemson for a Senior Night clash that carried more implications than the final score.
North Carolina celebrated Seth Trimble and Elijah Davis before tip-off, then both took the starting five. Trimble struggled on the court, but came up with a couple clutch plays late.
In a game the Tar Heels needed to win for ACC Tournament seeding , they delivered – and scared fans everywhere – in an instant classic. UNC fought back from a 5-point halftime deficit, winning 67-63 in a game it received contributions from virtually everyone.
Trimble scored just nine points, but opened the North Carolina (24-6, 12-5 ACC) scoring with a 3-pointer, then later clinched the win with a clutch rebound and free throw. Sure, Trimble likely wants Senior Night to be his best game, but he'd much rather a victory.
On a night where the Tar Heels celebrated their two seniors, it was a junior-led attack by Luka Bogavac and Jarin Stevenson.
Bogavac had just five points in Saturday's 7-point win over Virginia Tech. On Tuesday night against the hot-and-cold Tigers (21-9, 11-6 ACC), Bogavac exploded for a career-high 20 points at UNC.
Bogavac couldn't miss from deep, making all six of his field goals on 3-point attempts, including one that gave North Carolina a 56-55 lead it never relinquished. Bogavac drained both his free throws, which set his new career high.
Stevenson can give the Tar Heels a quick scoring burst, plus he's their top interior defender. On Tuesday night, Stevenson extended UNC possessions on multiple occasions, diving on loose balls or hurling basketballs in from deep out-of-bounds. Stevenson finished his night with nine points and a North Carolina-best 10 rebounds.
The Tar Heels survived a career-high 23 points from Clemson forward RJ Godfrey, who missed his final shot in the closing seconds. North Carolina finished its regular season home slate a perfect 18-0, the first time since 2016-17 – and you may remember what happened that April...
FINAL: UNC 67, Clemson 63
Thanks to a hot second half from Luka Bogavac, several big plays from Jarin Stevenson and Seth Trimble's defensive awareness in the closing minute, UNC escaped Clemson with a 67-63 win!
North Carolina finishes its regular season a perfect 18-0 at home, which sets a new program record.
Seth Trimble grabs the Clemson miss...and make two free throws!
In his last game wearing Carolina Blue in Chapel Hill, Seth Trimble grabs a clutch rebound to secure the UNC win. Trimble makes his first free throw, extending UNC's lead to 67-63.
Luka Bogavac sets career high with clutch free throws!
Luka Bogavac makes a pair of free throws with 12.2 seconds left, setting a UNC career-high with 20 points.
Tar Heels lead Clemson 66-63, with 12.2 seconds left.
The freshman DELIVERS on Senior Night!
How aout a Derek Dixon 3-pointer from the top of the key! UNC extends its lead over Clemson to 64-59. 37.1 seconds remaining.
Jarin Stevenson's crucial board helps UNC keep lead!
Off the Luka Bogavac miss, Jarin Stevenson grabs an offensive rebound and allows UNC to retain possession.
Hubert Davis calls timeout. Tar Heels lead Clemson, 61-59, with 55 seconds left.
Seth Trimble gets a BIG two to fall...UNC lead up to six!
Seth Trimble opened North Carolina's scoring, thanks to an early 3-pointer, but he's cold from the field since.
Trimble just broke his drought, nailing a pull-up jumper from the free throw line with 2:11 remaining. UNC leads Clemson, 61-55.
Luka Bogavac is on FIRE! UNC leads by four late.
Luka Bogavac, have yourself a day! The Tar Heels' sharpshooting guard is on a heater, making 3-pointers on two of his team's last three possessions.
Bogavac is up to 18 points – on six made threes – and North Carolina has a 59-55 lead with 4:01 remaining in second half action.
Clemson reclaims 1-point advantage heading into under-8 media timeout
RJ Godfrey is enjoying a career night with 21 points. Clemson has a 50-49 advantage with 7:17 left.
Offense, anyone?
UNC and Clemson combined for 57 first half points. Through eight minutes in the second half, the Tar Heels and Tigers have 34 combined points.
Jonathan Powell's first bucket helps UNC reclaim the lead!
Thanks to a 3-pointer that roll around every part of the rim, Jonathan Powell gave UNC a 47-44 lead heading into the under-12 media timeout.
Clemson ties game up on run of its own
Seven straight Tiger points, most recently an RJ Godfrey layup, tie the game at 44 with UNC.
Hot swing helps UNC roar back and take lead!
The Tar Heels are currently on a 12-0 run, turning a 5-point deficit into a 44-37 lead.
Luka Bogavac gives UNC its first, second-half lead!
Thanks to his third 3-pointer, Luka Bogavac gives UNC a 38-37 lead!
UNC trails by two at first second half media timeout
The Tar Heels face a 37-35 deficit at the second half's under-16 media timeout.
RJ Godfrey making his presence felt
Godfrey, Clemson's leading scorer at 11.5 points per game, recorded nine points and six rebounds in the first half. Godfrey's most unexpected contribution came from a 3-pointer, which the Tigers have just three of.
Six different Tar Heels have first half buckets
Derek Dixon and Henri Veesaar each have six points to lead UNC in the first half. Trimble (five), Zayden High (four), plus Jarin Stevenson and Luka Bogavac (three apiece) round out North Carolina's scoring.
Can Seth Trimble get it going in the second half?
Trimble, UNC's senior captain and starting shooting guard, made just one of his seven first half shots. Trimble has three straight games in double-digits, though he currently has five.
Clemson winning the offensive post battle
Despite UNC having Henri Veesaar in its starting lineup, Clemson earned an 18-8 points in the paint advantage. The Tigers lead at halftime, 30-27, in large part because of their paint dominance.
Perimeter shooting keeping UNC in this one.
The Tar Heels shot 5-of-11 (45 percent) from deep in the first half, but just 10-of-28 (36%) overall.
Butta Johnson's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gives Clemson halftime lead
With the score knotted at 27-all, Clemson's Butta Johnson drains a three from the top of the key. The Tigers take a 30-27 lead over UNC into halftime.
Henri Veesaar to Zayden High!
Stay in your seats for halftime...if you're in Chapel Hill!
Tar Heels lead by one at final first half media timeout
After a cold stretch, spanning nearly six minutes with a field goal, UNC re-takes a 25-23 on Luka Bogavac's 3-pointer with 4:25 left in the first half.
UNC re-takes the lead!
Luke Bogavac nails a contested 3-pointer with just over four minutes left in first-half action, giving UNC a 25-23 lead.
UNC shooting struggles with Henri Veesaar on the bench
The Tar Heels didn't make a single field goal with Veesaar on the bench, allowing Clemson to embark on a 10-2 run.
Clemson takes 2-point lead thanks to 3-pointers, strong defense
UNC faces its first deficit on the night, 19-17, at the under-8 media timeout with 7:52 remaining. Clemson started 0-of-6 from deep, but nailed two straight to take its first lead.
Clemson snatches lead quickly
Thanks to their second-straight 3-pointer, the Tigers take a 19-17 lead over UNC midway through the first half.
Tar Heels to play rest of first half in the bonus
UNC goes to the free throw line with 9:45 remaining, thanks to Clemson's sixth foul of the first half.
Seth Trimble sank both free throws, extending UNC's slim lead to 17-13.
UNC maintains 6-point lead at under-12 media timeout
The Tar Heels carry a 15-9 lead over Clemson into the second media timeout, which comes with 11:58 remaining in first-half action.
Efficiency at its finest.
UNC has six assists on its first six field goals, an early sign of sharing the basketball well.
Hot shooting gives UNC a 6-point lead at first media timeout!
The Tar Heels made six of their first seven shots, including a 3-of-4 mark from deep. UNC carries an 11-5 lead over Clemson, with 15:33 left on the first half clock.
Steve Kirschner...best media guy in the game!
Starting lineups
UNC will roll with Derek Dixon, Elijah Davis, Seth Trimble, Jarin Stevenson and Henri Veesaar in its starting lineup. Clemson counters with Jestin Porter, Dillon Hunter, Efrem Johnson, RJ Godfrey and Carter Welling.
Clemson has a recent advantage, but UNC owns the all-time series
Clemson has a 2-game winning streak in the series, including last season's 85-65 thumping in South Carolina.
Here come the Tar Heels!
Elijah Davis, Evan Smith and Henri Veesaar lead UNC out of the tunnel. Plenty is at stake tonight, most notably the 4-seed in next week's ACC Tournament.
Everybody loves Caleb Wilson.
Remember this iconic intro?
Tar Heels could set a new record for home wins tonight
If North Carolina beats Clemson tonight, it'll finish a perfect 18-0 at home. The last time UNC won every home, regular season game (2016-17), a National Championship ended the season.
UNC down three frontcourt guys, Clemson down one guard/forward each
With no Caleb Wilson, James Brown and Ivan Matlekovic, the latter two of whom rarely see court time, expect UNC to continue leaning heavily on Zayden High, Jarin Stevenson and Henri Veesaar.
Zac Foster averages 6.9 points per game for Clemson, while Trent Steinour averages just one point per game.
Seth Trimble's final game day warmups in the Dean Dome
Will he be ready by ACC Tournament time?
Caleb Wilson, who leads the Tar Heels with 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, broke his hand in a 9-point loss at Miami.
The fact Wilson no longer has a cast on, plus now that he's shooting a basketball, means he could be back sooner than later.
Anyone cutting onions?Ca
Seth Trimble, UNC's senior captain and Elijah Davis, head coach Hubert Davis's son, delivered heartfelt tributes to their time as Tar Heels.
What channel is UNC vs. Clemson on Tuesday? Time, TV schedule, radio
TV Channel: ESPN
Time:7:00 p.m. ET
Radio: SiriusXM (Channel 84 and 388)
Website: WatchESPN
Where to watch UNC vs. Clemson on live stream
UNC vs. Clemson prediction, picks, odds
UNC is riding a three-game winning streak and it looks like the chemistry is somewhat back to normal after Veesaar’s monster performance against Virginia Tech last Saturday. While Clemson is a tough opponent, the Tar Heels are 4-1 without Caleb Wilson, which was impressive considering UNC’s slate since the start of February was a tough one.
Clemson is no joke defensively, allowing just 66 points per game and holding opponents to 43% shooting from the field — marks that rank second and third, respectively, in ACC play.
Prediction:UNC 78, Clemson 70
Spread Favorite: North Carolina (-3.5)
Moneyline:Clemson +145, UNC -175
Total:141.5 points
UNC basketball 2025-26 schedule
October 4: Blue-White Scrimmage (White 55, Blue 50)
Oct. 24: at BYU (preseason, L 78-76)
Oct. 29: vs. Winston-Salem State (preseason, W 95-53)
Nov. 3: vs. Central Arkansas (W, 94-54)
Nov. 7: vs. Kansas (W, 87-74)
Nov. 11: vs. Radford (W, 89-74)
Nov. 14: vs. NC Central (W, 97-53)
Nov. 18: vs. Navy (W, 73-61)
Nov. 25: vs. St. Bonaventure in Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off (W, 85-70)
Nov. 27: vs. Michigan State in Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off (L, 74-58)
December 2: at Kentucky (W, 67-64)
Dec. 7: vs. Georgetown (W, 81-61)
Dec. 13: vs. USC Upstate (W, 80-62)
Dec. 16: vs. ETSU (W, 77-58)
Dec. 20: vs. Ohio State in CBS Sports Classic (W, 71-70)
Dec. 22: vs. East Carolina (W, 99-51)
Dec. 30: vs. Florida State (W 79-66)
January 3, 2026: at SMU (L 97-83)
Jan. 10, 2026: vs. Wake Forest (W 87-84)
Jan. 14, 2026: at Stanford (L 95-90)
Jan. 17, 2026: at California (L 84-78)
Jan. 21, 2026: vs. Notre Dame (W 90-69)
Jan. 24, 2026: at Virginia (W 85-80)
Jan. 31, 2026: at Georgia Tech (W 91-75.)
Feb. 2, 2026: vs. Syracuse (87-77)
Feb. 7, 2026: vs. Duke (W 71-68)
Feb. 10, 2026: at Miami (FL) (L 75-66)
Feb. 14, 2026: vs. Pitt (W 79-65)
Feb. 17, 2026: at NC State (L 82-58)
Feb. 21, 2026: at Syracuse (W 77-64)
Feb. 23, 2026: vs. Louisville (W 77-74)
Feb. 28, 2026: vs. Virginia Tech (7:30 p.m.)
March 3, 2026: vs. Clemson (7 p.m.)
March 7, 2026: at Duke (6:30 p.m.)
March 10-14, 2026: ACC Tournament in Spectrum Center (Charlotte, N.C.)
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC trades second-half punches with Clemson, finishes perfect at home
